Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Have you heard about the new Cooking Classes offered at Southern Home & Kitchen at Thru-Way in Winston-Salem? I hate to be a hater, but I was pretty disappointed with my experience. I'm willing to give it a second chance, but it's left a chip on my shoulder. The spring-inspired class was scheduled from 6-8pm on a Monday evening, but didn't end until after 9pm. By 7:30pm, we had only received 1 course out of the 4 we would be enjoying. Thankfully, the assistant had a heavy hand when pouring the wine (though we could see that two of the 4 bottles were $3 Chuck from Trader Joe's).

I think one of the biggest problems was that the chef had difficulty multitasking. And for a spring-inspired meal, I was missing some green - where were the Peas? Asparagus? Strawberries? The taste of most everything was fabulous, but the menu was a bit heavy: Leek and Potato Soup; a Potato Pancake and Scallop; Filet Mignon with a Mushroom, Spinach and Goat Cheese Strudel; and Bread Pudding with Kahlua Caramel Sauce. This would be perfect for a fall menu. I can't imagine I'm the only one who noticed this.

Bread Pudding...finally!

To his credit, the chef quickly whipped up two impromptu sauces that wonderfully complemented the Scallop and Filet Mignon (both cooked to perfection), and impressed me with his food knowledge. The Scallop was finished in the oven, along with the Latkes, which were a bit gummy, but the impromptu sauce made up for it! I was intrigued by his use of Streusel in the Bread Pudding - removing the dish halfway during the baking process and adding a simple crumble of Brown Sugar, Butter, Pecans and Salt adds a wonderful layer of flavor and crunch. But if you're going to go to the trouble of making a divine homemade Kahlua Caramel Sauce, don't drizzle Hershey's Syrup on it too!

At the end of the class, I was more ready to leave than I was full. Luckily, Dewey's Bakery offers free cake squares on Monday, so my partner in crime and I had a yummy morsel on our drive back to Greensboro. If you go to one of these classes, and I encourage you to, have a snack before you go. It's a very cool store and this is a terrific concept, so maybe I just hit it on an off night. But for me, $46 is a lot to spend on something I'm very less than satisfied with.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

I was pretty skeptical about “The Other Woman”
– I'd seen a ton of press and just knew it would be slapstick (see most of
Cameron Diaz’s film history), whiny (ahem, Leslie Mann in “This is 40” and “Knocked
Up”) and amateur (Kate Upton who? Oh, boobs) but I was proven so very wrong. This
is a fantastic chick flick, that I’ll liken to the ultimate woman's revenge movie:
“The First Wives Club”. The chemistry between Diaz and Mann is undeniable - I laughed out loud several times at Mann's brilliantly improvised lines. So did every other woman (and the few men) in the theatre. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie.

Gorgeous! Photo courtesy of Moviefone

You've seen the previews - you get the gist. Carly (Diaz) is sleeping with Mark, who is married to Kate (Mann). Once a THIRD "whore" is discovered, the three decide to get even with Mark. Though it gets a bit cheeky - hormones in his smoothies, Nair in his shampoo - the big take down comes as a twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

Taylor Kinney (aka Lady Gaga's beau!) is a breath of fresh air as Kate's sensitive, wealthy and good-looking brother. Nicki Minaj grabs every scene she's in as Carly's sharp-tongued assistant. I was so hoping she would burst into "Starships." And Kate Upton is actually charming. The movie is full of beautiful people.

This film is a treat. To reference a favorite DC3 (or 4 at the time) song, "Ladies, leave your man at home." "The Other Woman" will have you laughing and making friends with the women in the row behind you.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

I love having friends who live in cool cities. I really didn't know much about Houston (like the fact that it's the 4th largest city in the US!) but I'm pretty much obsessed with it now. In 3 days, I had more meat and hot sauce than I've had so far this year, and loved every bite. My fellow North Carolinian Kelsey and I fell prey to the allure of the city, thanks to our fantastic tour guide (and North Carolinian at heart), Kate.

With my girls!

Our first meal had to be "Tex-Mex," if you will, at Lupe Tortilla. We were treated like royals - samples of their Beef Burritos (spoiler: they're OUTSTANDING), free Flan, two types of Salsa - I was in love already. For lunch, Local Foods has killer fresh ingredients. Truffled Egg Salad is the only egg salad I've ever enjoyed - and I would eat this on a flip flop. It's ridiculously light and fluffy, and the fact that it's served on a Pretzel Roll totally takes it over the top.

We made our way to Rice Village (by the University) for some shopping. It's comparable to Friendly Center or Thru-Way, but way, WAY bigger. At Torchy's Tacos, my eyes fixated on the words "Jalapeno Sausage." If the Truffled Egg Salad blew me away, the Jalapeno Sausage Taco put me on another planet. I was excited to try the Barbacoa Taco, but the Jalapeno Sausage totally took first place. Kate's friends were doing "bar golf," and we tagged along, enjoying Moscow Mules and local Texas beers at several different stops. This was an incredibly fun way to explore the humongous, diverse city.

Macaron heaven!

After exploring the Farmer's Market where we sampled Pecan Wood-Smoked Brisket with Raspberry Sauce (though I gotta admit - I'm an NC BBQ gal - the more vinegar, the better!), we made our way to what's best described as Whole Foods on steroids. Houston's Central Market has everything you've ever dreamed of and more. I almost lost it when I saw a carton of fresh squeezed WATERMELON juice - delightful! I had to sample a Goat Cheese and Honey Macaron, Buffalo Blue Cheese Popcorn and a Caramel Apple Praline Cookie. I just kept seeing my favorite words. What's a girl to do?

I'd like to swim in this Vermicelli bowl.

Thankfully, the humidity and heat were extremely low, so we were able to be outside and ride around the gorgeous neighborhoods without melting our faces off. At Mai Vietnamese, you'll find the most fantastic Vermicelli Bowl of your life. Mongoose versus Cobra is a happening spot to sit outside and enjoy a craft beer. (Or 4.) For an unparalleled dinner, the Red Lion British Pub does up some of the most tender Scallops atop an insane Black Truffle Mash.

Prior to catching my flight, I had to get one last Mexican Food fix at Pappasito's Cantina. A $2 Bloody Mary special sealed the deal. The trio of tacos - Grilled Shrimp, Pork Carnitas and Brisket - came with an appropriate Salsa for each meat. Non-Texas tacos bore me now. I can't wait to go back and explore more of Oil Country. If I've learned anything, it's that Texas loves Texas. And so do I.

Monday, April 14, 2014

My dad had Fleming’s on his “to try” list for years. We
visited the unparalleled steakhouse for his birthday and left total converts. Start
at the bar, so you can enjoy an Extra Dirty Martini with Blue Cheese-stuffed
Olives and some of their homemade Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips - one crunch is
truly not enough.

The Wedge. More like, the leaning tower of Bacon.

Plump darling Scallop with Goat Cheese Polenta

Garlic Bread is served with Sun-Dried Tomato
Butter and Mascarpone Gorgonzola Butter. The latter is perfection; they should
sell it as a body cream. It’s ridiculous to not splurge on the limited-time $40
promotion, since a Filet alone is typically $41. The first course sets the bar high –
a buttery scallop served on a bed of Goat Cheese Polenta with tender Cherry
Tomatoes. The Wedge is more like the leaning tower of Bacon, with Crispy Fried
Onions, Sliced Blue Cheese, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts. French Onion Soup possesses
a yummy Sherry flavor, full of onions, Gruyere and toasted Crostini. You could
stop here and be totally satisfied, but the main event was around the corner.

Filet and Lobster Tail!

The Petite Filet with Lobster Tail is about as decadent as
you can get. A saucer with melted butter is available, if you choose to take
things OTT (over the top). The cracked Peppercorn and salted crust on the filet
is fantastic. Spread some of the Mascarpone Gorgonzola Butter on top.
Yowza!

Happy Birthday Dad!

The Chocolate Lava Cake
seemed most appropriate for a night of celebrations and indulgences. The
brownie-like exterior and brownie batter-like interior just screams to be mixed
with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chantilly Cream. Raspberries add a nice acidity and
color. The Pistachio Cookie is reminiscent of a savory shortbread, and is better than a spoon to get every last bite of melted goodness.

If you go for your birthday, you’ll leave with a box of
four Chocolate Truffles. Fleming’s seriously takes care of their customers. This
is most definitely a splurge, but you get what you pay for. You’ll leave
feeling like very satiated royals.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

The RiverRun International Film Festival kicked off its 16th
year last weekend, with a trio of fantastic films. I had the pleasure of
attending “Le Chef,” at UNCSA’s Main Theatre in the exciting Film Village, thanks
to Tart and Tangy Triad! (Be sure to listen to the podcast on April 8 – yours
truly is the guest!) Seats for these films fill up quickly, but 30 minutes prior to show time, we luckily found a seat in what was to be a sold out event.

This is a delightful film, especially for foodies. It’s a lighthearted French comedy, and it will make you hungry for Merlot and Turbot. We follow the story of Jacky, an aspiring, likable chef who possesses the
palate and talent, but not the experience. It’s difficult for him to hold down
a job, much to his expectant girlfriend’s chagrin. Finally, a fortuitous turn of events lands him in the kitchen of one of France’s most beloved chefs.

We see Alexandre, a top notch chef, as an Emeril or Jean Georges - a classic chef
in need of some modern techniques. Enter Jacky. "The Man" is trying to take possession of the restaurant, so Jacky and Alexandre must pull out every trick in the book - including molecular gastronomy - to seduce critics and save their restaurant. They even visit a rival's restaurant for ideas disguised as a Sumo Wrestler and Geisha, a most humorous scene.

The trio of sous chefs are fabulous comedic relief and the score is quirky, a most appropriate soundtrack. Food is the focus of the film, but it's truly more about universal struggles, discovering fulfillment in your work, and finding love and approval from your loved ones and yourself. This story resonates with any audience.**Thanks Tart and Tangy Triad for having me on the show to talk about it! Listen to the full podcast here!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

“Les Mis” fans – lucky you! Russell Crowe charms us once
again, albeit briefly, with his canary-like singing voice as Noah in Darren
Aronofsky’s latest studio production. The film is the center of quite a bit of
controversy, but whatever you think you should expect, you’re wrong. Several elements
totally surprised me - even the opening credit font was an indicator that this was going to be a very different and unique interpretation of the story.

As Noah’s wife, Jennifer Connelly has about 5 lines in the
entire movie, but is strikingly beautiful and strong in her silences. She doesn’t
appear to age at all, while Noah goes through about every hairstyle and color in
the book. The landscape of the film reminds me of Crowe's “Robin
Hood,” and the score soars.

Am I right? YUM! Photo courtesy of Express

Emma Watson has more emotionally gut-wrenching scenes than anyone in the film, and my new celebrity crush, Douglas Booth, plays Noah's son who falls for her. I can see why these two have no trouble re-populating the Earth. Shout out to Sir Anthony Hopkins, who nails his role as the cooky medicine man grandfather. All
animals are CGI (computer-generated), but that doesn’t lessen the effect.

If you’re a fan of director Darren Aronofsky (which I’m NOT),
you will probably hate this film, as it’s not the creepy, nightmare-enducing “Requiem
for a Dream,” “Pi” or “Black Swan.” It was much tamer, with as much emotion as
action, though perhaps a bit too much dialogue. The film provides reasonable answers for a lot of questions – how could he possibly build that
ark alone? How were there enough people to re-populate the Earth? – and is a
far-stretched but believable interpretation of the story. The flood can't come soon enough, but there
are some spectacular visual moments.

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About Me

Movies and food are two of my biggest passions. For my New Year’s resolution in 2012, I decided to start this blog, reviewing “Cuisine and Screen.”
I love an artsy independent film as much as a summer blockbuster, and “Award Show Season” is my favorite time of year (don’t try calling me the night of the Golden Globes, SAGs or the Oscars.) I miss strolling the aisles of video stores (RIP) and finding gems I missed at the theatres, hidden among thousands of DVDs. I'm excited to write about new movies as well as ones I’ve just seen for the first time.
My Food Network addiction has led to many triumphs (and disasters) in the kitchen. So instead of a recipe blog, I decided to chronicle as many restaurant experiences as my wallet permits.
I hope you find this blog entertaining and informative, and that it gives you some suggestions for your next movie night or special dinner out!